My Bones Are Creaking
by Eeveeloutioneer
Summary: Adventures are supposed to be for the young and fit. Ashley Tiela is fit, just not young. At 53 years, any adventure days should be long gone. But, when her interns go missing along with all her pokemon, she has to trust an eevee to lead her to them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers, it's been a while... practically a year to be truthful. But, I'm back, and I think I've improved enough to actually keep this story flowing properly. I'm mainly here because of Julnowrimo... I started this story to get some last minute practice in. However, I've grown fond of it, so here we go.**

In the growing twilight I stride through field full calf high grasses with my destination in sight. Behind me trails a small cluster of research students- now interns, whose goals are to be like me. Casting a look behind myself towards them, I can't help but smile pityingly... They may be college aged, but they still have the air of overwhelmed elementary schoolers about them. Obviously field work is a new thought for them.

Returning my sight to the destination which seems to fill them with such jitters, I smile. However, this smile is one of content. The small and dark patch of my piece of viridian forest stretches its shadows close, as if calling for me. Behind the trees, the golden sun is being lost from sight.

"Come on now," I call back towards the group of students, "We're wasting daylight! We'll make the rounds together , then visit the Sanctuary. After all that I'll get you all situated with your sleeping arrangements."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Tiela ," calls a blonde student... I'm pretty sure her name is Jane, "but might I ask what has happened to our luggage?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead tuck a clump of silver streaked auburn hair away from my eyes and behind an ear. After a pause, I reply. "Well, an hour ago when you all arrived from the university, I instructed you all to leave it next to the bus. We left for this quick hike around the property and the bus left. That means your luggage must still be where we left it, unless it grew feet and walked away."

"but, what if somebody st-"

I cut her off and reply "Well, in case you haven't heard… my property is very well known to belong to the pokémon warden who also so happens to be a pokémon rehabilitator…. That is me. No one would dare steal anything from my property; bad things have happened to thieves who have. Besides, I left Peony inside, and she can handle anyone who comes by." Peony would be my week old poochyena pup that I found a few days ago on my doorstep.

In the minute or so that our discussion took place, the sun had finally dashed itself upon the horizon and out of sight, and we have wandered towards the outskirts of the forest. The sound of the Viridian night pokémon has by now risen and assaults our ears. I lead the group on for several minutes before stopping by a downed oak tree. I stop, and they gather around to listen to what I have to say.

"So, you seven have decided you either want to be wardens or rehabilitators. You all are all book-smart, probably twice as book-smart as I am… but, I have to point out you probably know crap about the actual workings. Both are two separate fields that intersect in three key sections. The first is that pokémon rehabilitators work to reintroduce most native pokémon to their wild habitats if nearby where they work. The second is that both wardens and rehabilitators will come into contact with foreign species, all thanks to _wonderfully thoughtful_ trainers who see fit to dump their pokémon in random areas. Be these areas simply in different areas of the region or completely different regions altogether, obviously these pokémon are not good. They will either thrive or die. If they thrive, with no natural predators they will overrun the place and slowly kill of native species. If they die, then that is one more pokémon whose trainer views it as trash to be dumped on the side of the road. Both have to find ways to remove these animals from where they have been left and rehome them. It is in this are that both fields will work together. Thirdly is education. Both fields are the voices of the pokémon. You have to spread the news – and if necessary the law- regarding proper treatment of pokémon. Both fields will come in contact with the best and the worst of human-pokémon interactions. I'm certified to give you an proper education that spans whatever field you have chosen, but expect to hear an earload about those three key points."

I look each student in the eye, making sure they understand I am completely serious. A stocky built intern –Adam- has a clipboard pulled from his backpack and is taking notes. I motion for him to put it away and listen as I continue.

"Now, the reason we are going on a trek around my property is just a quick check on pokémon, their trails, etcetera, etcetera. I do a more in depth sweep every other day. These quick rounds through or circling my property are done twice a day, once in the morning and once at night on days when I don't do the in depth sweep. Both rehabilitators and wardens had better listen; I can tell some of you think this doesn't apply to you. News flash, it does. Rehabilitators have to know the area around which they operate. This way they know the different groups of the pokémon that live there. That way, you know if re-introducing an abandoned pokémon to the wild is a good idea. If the area you live in has an over abundant group of rattatas, eating the natural seeds and plants that other species need and are slowly choking out other species, then you have to decide whether to introduce the fearow or the rattata under your care. I know you all know the answer to that scenario, so let's continue this stroll now that you all have caught your breathes." I pause, before digging through my backpack. Nestled inside next to my map and compass (not that I need either any more) are eight flashlights. I toss one to each of my charges, and take the final one for myself.

We all hike the forest terrain, trying to be quiet. Periodically I'll pull them to a trail, a patch of feces, or under a tree to analyze the calls of the night life. I toss question after question after them, even though it is probably cruel considering they are tired, hungry, and do not have the stamina for this "stroll" quite yet. Eventually, I hear dragging feet. Not long after come the heavy sighs, quiet whispers among themselves, and finally…

"Um… Mrs. Tiela? I, er, we were sort of wondering," begins an exhausted brunette student - Lynn. Her slender frame is practically quivering with weariness, and I watch her, slightly worried she will collapse. But, she stands taller when I uncertainly eye her and continues "We were wondering when this would be done. It is late, 11:30, and we've been hiking for three hours now."

I look at my watch, and it is indeed 10:30. Sheesh, I could have been done by now if I didn't have these children with me. Glancing back up at her and the others, I reply "Well, we have about a mile and a half more. The Sanctuary is a must, I still have to put all the pokémon to sleep and medicate a few, but I'll mainly talk while you all listen, that way I can finish quickly. Don't worry, we're almost done."

Clearly, almost done is not the answer they want, because there is some shuffling among them and an air of discontent hovers above them. But, Lynn just nods with a small smile in return. With that, I turn around and walk, hoping none of them faint on the way home.

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A top a hill, just out of sight of my house is a group of four structures. Each structure of the four structures are identical and roughly seventy feet long and forty feet wide. One of the structure's windows have a warm light streaming from them. I lead my weary human charges into the lit one. I turn to close the faded yellow door, and use that time to quickly analyze my charges' (both pokémon and human) reactions to one another. Typically I would not be worried, but several of the pokémon had been confiscated from abusive trainers by officer Jenny, and as such were in a very fragile state of mind. I had warned my interns before entering to be quiet and not make any sudden movements. Luckily, being the young adults they are, they followed directions. I let out a very quiet sigh of relief… it seems everything should work out smoothly.

I take a second look at my students, and hold back a chuckle. Their eyes are bugging out as they take in the sights. In the far left corner is the beginning of a small stream that pools into a decent sized pond towards the front left corner. The rest of the area is real grass, which grows thanks to the power of the sun which, during the day, streams in from the multiple windows that practically form a wall of glass on three sides of the structure, and thanks to the watering system of pipes fixed to the ceiling that arches far over head. Against the right wall are 20 sleeping boxes, ranging from the size of a shoe box to the size of a wardrobe. The cheery atmosphere is completed by little lights which stud the ceiling and top portion of the walls.

The twenty inhabitants, most of who probably have histories which could dim the atmosphere in a second, are from all over the world. Everything from nidorina, rattata, and pidgey, to shinx, houndour, and purrloin. They stare back with equally large eyes. Depending on the pokémon, their eyes were full of anything ranging from excitement to abhorrence at the thought I would bring strangers inside their sanctuary.

I motion for my students to sit down quietly while I bustle about. First, I dim the lights to a soothing atmosphere. Next to the light switch is a button, which I push twice. There is a slight whirring that cuts through the silence as the shades lower over the windows. With two tasks complete, I happily coo to my pokémon charges.

"Come on now, it is dinner time. I'm sorry I came home late. I now have some people under my wing as well~ I promise they're good people; today they're just watching. They'll be helping me with all of this, and I'll be teaching them how the Sanctuary works." I gently tap my shoulder, and a pidgey lights onto it. He nestles against me, and a tension in the room I tried to ignore seemed to fade from the room, as the other pokémon took this as a signal to relax. As they start playing amongst themselves as they had before I had entered with my students, I stroll a few feet to the right of the door and open up a smaller door that blended in well with the walls save for a doorknob. I grab a strap attached to a large table on wheels and pull. It pulls out with a slight creak of protest. Sitting on the table are several small bins, each with at least one Pokémon's name on it. I dish out the semi-moist pellets into bowls and top with treats. Some of the treats I have to pull from the fridge, which sat next to the door to the pull out table. The fridge was also cleverly hidden (for the most part) to look like part of the wall. All sorts of ingredients find their way from the fridge to the bowls. Meat, seeds, grains, and more are pulled out then tossed almost carelessly back in. With a practiced sort of grace, I finish prepping all twenty bowls within a few minutes and carry them on a tray next to my students.

My pokémon have been watching my every move, trying not to drool too much. When they see me putting their food near my human charges, several grow visibly irritated or worried. However, I shrug off their questioning eyes and proceed to place the bowls around where my students sit. I then pull out a few granola bars from my backpack and hand them out to my students.

"All of you will have to start getting used to eating snacks or meals with the Pokémon. Right now, I'm going to give the little guys the okay to eat. Wait until all of them are eating before you munch." My students nod in reply, as if scared to speak. I smile towards the pokémon and say "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for this food." I have barely finished saying food before the pokémon practically charge the food and start munching. The tension in the air drops again as hungry bellies are filled. As the pokémon eat, I talk to my students, giving them a brief history on each pokémon. We chat, even laugh a bit as everyone relaxes. After eating, I make a few quick introductions, introducing the more friendly pokémon to the kids to socialize while I clean up.

By the time I leave, I am practically glowing. There is something about working with these broken pokémon that always fills me with a hope and a happiness. Despite it being extremely late, I toss together a quick meal for the eight of us, and shoo the students off to their respective sleeping areas. By the time I am in bed, it is probably one in the morning. But, before going to sleep, I have one more job to do. I get a weathered old leather journal and flip to the last journal entry. With pen in hand, I write the following:

_Today was interesting to say the least. It has been several years since I've had students come to intern under me…. I was almost hoping that last group would be the absolute last. I'm getting old, and old people supposedly like to be alone. I'm in my 50's… I don't need kids trailing behind me all day like a bunch of ducklings. I swear, Jenny must think I'm getting too old to do this job alone. I admit, it can be a burden, but I'm twice as fit as some of my interns. I have few wrinkles, I stay healthy…. I am healthy. They were all worn out by the end of the hike. Wait 'til they actually have to do work. It'll be hard work, but I hope they learn to love it._

**I realized I made a politically incorrect move by inserting a prayer to God into this chapter, and I apologize. If it offends you in any way shape or form, feel free to mentally substitute 'God' with whatever you deem necessary. **


	2. Chapter 2

I stroll from room to room around my house, banging on doors and rousing my interns. "Get up! It's already 5:57! We should have been out the door by now! I'm giving all of you twenty minutes to wash up and be in the kitchen for breakfast!" I'll admit, I'm still rubbing sleep from my eyes as well, but an early start is necessary with these kids slowing the process down.

My house might look relatively small from the outside, but it is a ranch style house. One level above ground and the rest below, it is the house I grew up in a child…. it's more ancient than I am. The property has been passed down over the generations from rehabilitator to future rehabilitator… I must say this property has probably been around since the Viridian Forest was nothing but a young group of saplings. Despite the age of the area and house, the furnishings are relatively modern, and recently I had the house restored to give it a more modern feel… however, the layout hasn't changed. It easily held the giant family I grew up in, so my seven interns and I fit comfortably with rooms to spare.

I stride up the stairs and into the family room. On the wall across from me is an old mirror. Apparently it is the same mirror my grandmother looked in when she was a teenager. My house may be modern, but family heirlooms are still hanging around. I stare into the mirror, not unpleased with myself. Surprisingly enough, I don't have many wrinkles… a few crow feet around my eyes, and faint smile lines, but nothing much. There are two possible explanations for that… either the anti-wrinkle cream is working, or the source for my tap water is the fountain of youth. Personally, I think the latter option is more likely.

I turn away from the mirror and stride into my kitchen. Peony is already there waiting for her food. I ruffle her wispy grey puppy fluff and pour some formula and hot water into a bottle. She yips and stumbles towards me, yet to fully master her feet. Her darling blue eyes stare up at me, and she wiggles her whole body, impatience etched in every strand of fur. Being only a week old, her eyes still have about a week more before they change to the dark maroon her species is noted for. While maroon is a nice color, I think the crystal blue suits her better. However, she is not concerned about the color of her eyes… she just wants to be fed. She begins to lick my big toe and tries to suckle it. I laugh and shake up the formula. Once the formula is properly mixed, I scoop her up into my arms, sit down on a chair, and let her nestle in my lap while she suckles.

I find it hard to believe a Pokémon trainer would abandon her here for me. While no longer extremely rare (thanks to wonderful trainers who release them into the wild in a region where they obviously don't belong), it is still odd to find poochyena around these parts. When she is old enough to be re-homed, I'll either have to find a responsible trainer to take her or send her to a Pokémon center in Hoenn to be released into a pack. I don't look forward to the day she has to leave me, but hundreds (if not thousands) of Pokémon have come and gone through my care over the years, so it is something I have gotten used to. I try not to dwell too long in these thoughts, because ten minutes have already passed by the time Peony has been fed. I quickly clean her up and set her back down so I can start cooking breakfast.

Eggs, bacon, and toast find their way onto my griddle, and I soon have enough for my human charges and myself to enjoy. Obviously the smell of food puts a little spring in their steps, because all seven emerge around the time the food is on the table. I look at them and offer them something to drink. "You can have moo-moo milk or Magost berry juice. The cups are in the cupboard to the right of and above the sink. Ice is in the freezer. " Once everyone has settled down to eat, I go around and make sure I know their names. "Okay, you are Jane Evens, right?" I nod in the blonde student's direction. She has pretty blue eyes and a cheery personality. "Ummmmm, Adam Rozell, right?" The huskily built black haired student nods, half his attention on me and the other half on a book. I look over to the intern next to him. The red headed and wiry built young man is making eyes at Jane, who is returning his looks. "Alex and Jane…. This might be summer, but there will be no summer loving at my house. Do you understand? No doe eyes towards each other. You are here to work,correct?"

Jane and Alex both nod in return, slightly embarrassed. "Yes ma'am," they reply.

"It's either Mrs. Tiela or Ashley to you all. Ma'am means you are probably rolling your eyes mentally at me." I turn my attention to tall Asian young man, who sits besides Lynn. "You two are Bryan Ko and Lynn Wordsort." A student is fussing with her frizzy dark brown hair, having already eaten her breakfast. I nod in her direction. "You are Clara Nutt, and Sam Shap." Sam is another female student, with strawberry blonde hair and a mildly disgruntled attitude. She doesn't seem pleased to be awake this early.

With all their names established, I get their attention and begin talking. "Okay, here is today's plan of action. We feed the Pokémon at the Sanctuary, and I introduce you to them and what I do there. We will probably spend most of the morning with them, and will return here for lunch. Then we pack our backpacks and go through the property and nearby woods. You all will need a notepad or something to keep track of the information. Records, as you all know, are extremely important when keeping track of an area and the pokémon population over a long period of time."

I hustle them all out the door and lead the way to the Sanctuary. As we walk, I talk, giving them a general history and over view of the structures. "The Regional Department of Agriculture and Wildlife granted me funds for both my occupations, as wildlife- pokémon warden and rehabilitator, for the Sanctuary. As you can tell, it is well maintained, thanks to the RDAW (pronounced Reedah). The pokémon you saw in there are mainly the soft and cuddly ones, but I get all sorts of pokémon. Each building is equipped for different ones. Pokémon who live in or very near water go to building two. The soft and cuddly ground dwellers go to building one. Ones who mainly fly go to building three – that tallest one behind building one. Larger ones who need more space go to building four. Each building can hold approximately thirty pokémon, though it is rare that I have one hundred and twenty pokémon all at once.

I typically take on only small groups at a time if possible. That way, I can house them all together in one building. If I were to get a ponyta right now, chances are I'd keep him or her in building one, even though he or she would be more suited for building four. This is because ponyta are social (and as such would be lonely in building four) and part of rehabilitation requires pokémon-pokémon contact and relationship building. However, If I simply cannot keep a certain pokémon with another group due to size or living requirements, I have several different Pokémon of my own to keep them company. My Pokémon have all been trained for this sort of work (if you wish to call it such), and are extremely mild mannered. Pokémon rehabilitators require Pokémon helpers for multiple reasons, but this is one of the biggest reasons." I glance back towards them, making sure they are all paying attention. "Do any of you have questions?"

Bryan nods his head and asks, "Are your pokémon ones you caught and trained or did you receive them from RDAW as 'tools'?"

"I have some of each. Some rehabilitators will chose and go with strictly one or the other, but in my opinion being willing to draw from different resources means you have a greater variety. Some wild pokémon will never reach the requirements that are necessary to be helpers of sorts. And then again, some pokémon supplied from RDAW will never bond quite so well seeing as they were trained from birth by one trainer before being passed on. Bonds between the rehabilitator and his or her pokémon are necessary for this sort of work. People who work as rehabilitators can only go so far in rehabilitating. There are a lot of pokémon that require another pokémon to sort of break through to them and open them up to rehabilitation and working with the rehabilitator."

We are approaching the four buildings, but instead I swing around them and walk back towards a large fenced in area. I hop over the fence and motion for my charges to follow. While nothing at first glance seems different about the land then the area outside the fenced in area, a closer look would tell elsewise. There are several spots on the ground where the land has been scorched. Boulders (obviously placed there) sit atop gravelly spots where other boulders once sat before being crushed to oblivion. Several trees and shrubs placed around the area are in a sorry state. The land is pockmarked by holes and tunnels. I can tell this area of destruction hardly makes the sturdy fences surrounding it seem like toothpicks to the interns. I smile and motion around me.

"This is the practicing arena. As you all are aware, the pokémon that are being rehabilitated often times need to hone their skills and learn to cooperate with humans before being given to trainers. They also need to learn how to hunt, defend themselves, and learn when to retreat if they are being returned the wild area. I have to say, this is where all the fun is. You all will be spending two or so hours of every day starting tomorrow working with the pokémon and training them. Get them pokéball trained and teach them to return when trainers call…. But all teach them to avoid being caught by pokéballs thrown by another human who is not their trainer. Teach them to bond, teach them to cooperate with other pokémon. We go in, the pokémon that essentially choose you are the pokémon you all will be working with." I check my watch, it is 6:32 and about time to feed the pokémon. Turning to my charges, I motion them out of the arena and back towards the Sanctuary.

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There is a clatter of dishes being put away after breakfast. This time, it is not me doing the work, but rather Jenny and Adam. The other five interns are sitting and letting the pokémon get to know them. Jenny and Adam are practically tossing dishes here and there in their hurry to join in. I try my best to suppress a smile, their eagerness is a source of joy for me. In a short amount of time, they heave the rolling table back inside the opening and shut the door. As they do, I call out to my charges (both human and pokémon) "Alright, all of you, it is time for proper introductions. I know some of you intereacted with each other yesterday, but that doesn't count. Bryan, Lynn, Adam, Jane, Alex, Sam, and Clara, if you all would sit down facing the pokemon, that'd be wonderful. And all of you," I motion to my pokémon, "Sit down in a group facing my students." They all cluster together and sit. It never fails to amaze me how much pokémon understand. It is rather uncanny for animals, in my opinion.

"Okay, you seven, I'd like to introduce to you my helper. Wallop, come here please!" The pidgy from last night lights upon my shoulder again, and turns one eye towards the group of interns. After sizing them up, he gives a satisfied coo. "I caught Wallop as a fledgling from the Viridian forest. He's several years old now, and has been helping me for two of them."

I scan the group of nineteen pokémon, and try to judge how they are feeling. My eyes fall upon a nidorina, who seems pretty calm and almost eager to meet my interns. Her retracted barbs indicate she does not feel threatened or nervous. "Sweetpea, come on over here," she happily trots to the groups and sniffs outstretched hands as I talk, "She was given to the Pewter City pokémon center by a trainer who could not get her under control. She's been with me for about half a year, and is almost ready for re-homing." She walks among the group and lets them pet her leathery blue skin before settling down in the middle of my human group.

A houndour sits in the middle of the other seventeen pokémon, his shoulders hunched to make him look smaller. I snap once to get his attention on me. "Rink, come on out and meet our guests," I call in a cheerfully encouraging voice. He slinks forth, tail lowered and weighted down by uncertainty. "He was seized by Officer Jenny from an abusive trainer who was visiting this region about a month ago, and has been with me for about three weeks. I say he's a sweetie who just needs a bit of encouragement." Wallop has left my shoulder and is now atop Sweetpea's head. Rink spots Wallop's new perch and gives a doggy sort of smile. His tail lifts slightly, and he takes the last few steps to the seven students with more confidence.

As Rink gets to know the interns, I introduce the other pokémon. They are from many different regions and each has a different story and different personality. Finally there is one pokémon left. "This is Tom, he was seized during a pokémon black market raid taking place in one of Team Rocket's hide outs and he came here about three months ago." I nod to the purrloin, who stalks over with nose raised. He looks over the interns with a look of distaste. I glare at him slightly. He returns my look and practically rolls his eyes. He bounds over to them and gives a faint hiss that clearly says "You had better stay back, you are beneath my notice." I roll my eyes at the infuriating feline and then walk among my charges.

All my charges are lazing about in the grass, laughing and socializing among themselves. By now, the pokémon have found people to sit by. Most of my interns had three pokémon draped over, sitting by or leaning against them. Lynn had none what-so-ever. I purse my lips slightly. I had hoped everyone would have three and two of the interns would have two pokémon attached to them. Hopefully Tom will take to Lynn and she doesn't have to feel left out. Lynn holds out her hand to Tom, not noticing me watching her. Tom looks at me and then sniffs her hand. He wrinkles his nose and stalks away from the large group of my charges. That snotty little cat.

I check my watch and note the time, 12:08. It is lunch time. "Okay kiddies, it is lunch time for us. Now that you all have socialized and gotten to know each other, help me open all the windows. There are screens behind it, and the pokémon know not to rip through them, so don't worry about it." By the time we are done, there is a pleasant breeze blowing through that ruffles the growing grass. The pokémon are spreading out to frolic or laze around. I turn and lead the way out. As the last intern trails out, I notice Sweetpea has followed us to the door and is standing there anxiously, wishing to come with us. I say "Not now Sweetie, maybe tomorrow, okay?" as I close the door slowly, trying not to feel too guilty. The sun is blazing overhead, and the refreshing smell of sweet dry grass and flowers meets us as we walk towards the house.

**Hello readers, I know you all must be terribly busy and all that seeing as you just took the time to read this chapter, but I have a request. There is a little review button not that far from this text. If you could take a moment to leave a comment, question, concern, or critique, that would probably make my day. Thank you for taking the time to read the chapter and review. **


	3. Chapter 3

I crunch through the litter of leaves going through all stages of decomposition as my interns and I tread at the foot of the giants that form the Viridian Forest. The blazing summer heat is warded off, but fiery pieces still pool on the forest floor dappling its dim atmosphere.

"Come here," I motion to my charges, "Tell me what this is."

They gather around what would look to be a yellow furball to the untrained eye. Sam speaks up, her eyes glowing as she pushes her strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes. "It's a noctowl's pellet."

"Very good, how do you know it is from a noctowl?"

She begins with enthusiasm written all over her face. While she may be a grouch at other times, it seems as if Pokémon transform her to a completely different person. "Well, the size is about the size of a noctowl's gullet. A hoothoot's gullet is about a quarter the size of a noctowl's, and this is much too large to be a hoothoot's."

I nod back to her, and then turn to Alex, who clearly wasn't paying attention. "Alex, dissect this and tell me what it tells you."

He nods and then walks from the fringes of the group to take a place next to me. He picks up the pellet, which is a little bigger than a golf ball, and begins to pick through it. He talks as he works. "The yellow fur is distinctly a pikachu's or pichu. The bones," he pauses to hold up a tiny skull about as long as a toothpick, "are too small to be a fully grown pikachu's, so it must be pichu. I'm finding several sets of bones," He pauses again to hold up six dime sized electricity glands which originated from underneath three pichu's red cheeks, "are clearly from three, possibly four pichu pups. It is rare for noctowls to actually get a hold of a whole litter of pikachu pups seeing as pikachus are well known for hiding and protecting their young. Seeing as we have seen signs of an overabundant population of pikachu and pichus, I think it is possible they have started to grow too bold and confident in their numbers, which lead to carelessness, which this noctowl took advantage of."

I smile and nod. "That was a very good analytical dissection. Not only did you tell me what was eaten and how many, but you connected its possible reasons to the environment and the Pokémon population." I look around the group before tossing another question out to them. "Bryan, look through that pellet and tell me what else you can figure out from it."

Bryan gives Alex a playful punch before taking his spot. He looks at the pellet, taking some of the fur in his hands. "The fur and pellet is still damp. It is fresh, probably no more than an hour or two old. There are many older remains of pellets and noctowl droppings, which means this area is probably home to a pair of nesting noctowls, seeing as noctowls aren't typically known to claim the same perch over and over again when they decide to regurgitate pellets." After saying that, all of our eyes are drawn upwards, searching for the signs of a noctowl nest.

"There is the nest," breathes Lynn excitedly. She points to a depression in the trunk of the tree whose base we are crouched next to. Out of the hallow sags a mess of branches, fur, feathers and mud.

"Okay Lynn, talk to me about that nest."

She glances at me quickly before craning her head backwards to look at the nest again. "…well, judging by the way a portion of the nest is so obviously protruding from the hallow, I bet the nesting pair is young. Most nests of older noctowls are very tidy and as such harder to find. However, it is sturdy and won't be going anywhere, so they probably have nested before together. You can barely call first timers' nests actual nests. While noctowls are indeed a foreign species, it has been decided that they are not invasive seeing as they often times have difficulty getting used to their surroundings and considering the fact that arbok and beedrill can and do prey on them."

"Okay, very good. It seems you all are know what you are doing. I'd like you all to keep notes of what you notice. Be making notes on animal life, the ecosystem, possible invasive species, human trails, etc. We'll be walking around for another…" I stop to check my watch. 12:37, "four hours. Be sure to stay within eye sight of me. Drink your water and eat your snacks when you have time. Once we head back, it's more time at the Sanctuary to feed the Pokémon their dinner and then our dinner. After dinner, we'll compare notes. Hopefully we'll be done by 7:30, in which case you have the rest of the day to relax."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It is now 2:45, and the day has reached a sweltering 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.6 degrees Celsius) in the shade of the Viridian Forest. Sweat beads upon my forehead, replacing what I wiped away a few seconds ago. It's too damn hot outside; I think this has to be the hottest summer I've ever experienced… well, maybe not the hottest, but the hottest in a long, long time. And a long, long time to me is ancient history to my interns. We have covered most of my portion of the forest that I have to patrol; it is surprising to think about how fast we have moved. The saying two hands are better than one must be true. If I weren't a stubborn-as-an-ass-old-woman, I'd have called it quits by now. I survey the land around me, counting six students. Adam, Alex, Bryan, Jane, Lynn, and Sam are all within eye sight... Where is Clara?

"Has anyone seen Clara?" They all look up at me and among themselves. A chorus of 'no's meets my ears. Wonderful. If another student dies on me, since that incident a while ago, I might be in trouble with RDAW. "I told you all to stay within eyesight... is such a simple direction really that difficult to follow? Okay, help me search for our wayward mareep." I don't exactly listen to their responses. Instead, I pick a random direction –east- and start walking. "CLAAAAAARRRRAAAA!" I call out. "Clara!" Pretty soon, a chorus of 'Clara's are echoing around the forest.

Fifteen minutes into the search, I am ready to bash my brains out onto a tree. Of course today of all days my cell phone dies of me (Not that I can actually work the damn thing). I snap at the nearest person to me, Adam, to use his phone to contact Clara. He looks at me with dismay after calling and says "She's not picking up."My panic mode is beginning to pick up. To try to seem even somewhat in control, I gather everyone around the tree. For a moment, silence cloaks us, as they wait for me to say something. My throat works, but I have no idea what the Hell to say. I clear my throat, and as I do, Adam's cell phone rings.

My five other interns and I stare at him practically drilling holes into his head as he talks. When he finishes, he looks at us with relief. "She says she is by the downed oak that we gathered around last night."I look around, and gather that she is probably a quarter mile away if we were to walk northeast. With a curt nod to him, I turn around and start in that direction.

We find her, sitting there with a little pichu in her arms. It is laying limp and has a huge gash upon its head and puncture wounds in its sides. I am too worried about Clara to deal with the pup at the moment. I round on her and snap "What the Hell is wrong with you?"

She looks at me, obviously distressed. "I saw it being carried away by a carnivine and had to stop it."

I try not to scoff at her. "So you decided to catch the pichu instead of the carnivine? Carnivine are notoriously invasive species, and that one has been wreaking havoc upon some native species."

She looks shocked by my cruel words. "But…"

I soften, knowing she meant well. "I tell you what, we've finished our rounds, so we'll bring that pichu to the pokecenter." I pull a potion out of my backpack, and spritz the pup's wounds. They heal over enough to slow the bleeding, but those puncture wounds will require professional help. "You have six empty pokéballs in your bag. Use one to carry the pichu so he doesn't get jostled during our trip back home. As for the carnivine, I was considering having you seven go out and catch it in a few days, so it is not a problem."

We all trudge into the house. I walk through the family room and to a little side room, my computer room. I turn on the webcam and call for the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Nurse Joy answers, and cheerfully greets me. "Hello Ashley, what can I do for you today?"

"I have an injured pichu that could use a bit of assistance. Once he is healed, I can rehome him."

"Sure thing, send him over." She says.

I turn around to Clara, and ask for the pokéball. I enlarge it and set it in a boxy machine that is just big enough to hold it. Upon closing the top, I click three buttons and press the SEND button. There is a hum and light flashes from underneath the lid as the pokéball is transported. Turning back to the screen I smile.

Joy is leaning towards a larger version of my box next to her own computer, and she fishes from it the pichu's pokéball and hands it to a chansey who is standing partially out of view of the screen. "Your pokémon has been received, and is now awaiting treatment."

"Thank you Joy, I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem, but before you go, I have a favor for you."

"Okay, do you have a pokémon in need of rehoming?"

"I have an eevee in need of a bit of rehabilitation. I had Chansey do basic evaluation, and it seems the eevee has a few issues with trusting male humans. I don't know the extent of it, but I trust your expertise."

"Of course, why don't you send her over?"After the transaction and my machine quits humming, I open up the lid and pick up the pokéball. I shrink it down to its more convient size and tuck it in my pocket. "Thank you Joy, have a good day."

"You too Ashley." I turn off the computer, and turn to my interns to address them. "Okay, this has changed our schedule slightly, but that's okay. Part of being wildlife wardens and rehabilitators is that flexibility is key. New plan of action would be that we are going to separately feed the eevee, then feed our pokémon, and then introduce her to them. Introducing new pokemon is always tricky, so I'll do this while you all watch."

My interns relax aside the pokémon in building one after feeding them. I call all of my charges attention with a whistle and then bring out the eevee's pokéball. Before calling her out, I set down a small wire crate, and open the door. The crate is for the eevee's safety as well as our own (though I'm not too worried about being injured by an eevee).

I call her forth, aiming the red beam of light into the crate. She appears, and looks around curiously. She tries to take a step out of the crate, but I put a hand to her fluffy cream colored chest and gently push her back before closing the door. When I had been feeding her, I had gotten to know her, and she seems like a docile pokémon. Instead of protesting, she sits back and watches what I do. I call up each pokémon, one by one for introductions through the crate. Everything goes well, and none of the pokémon seem upset. After about half an hour of monitored interactions through the crate, I open up the door and let her loose.

The interns and I are pleased by the easy transition, and watch as she frolics with her new friends. Turning to my human charges, I say, "You know, she needs a name."

**I am cutting it off here because I want to hear some ideas for names. I typically name my main character's using misspellings or variations of a word, verb, etc. that ties in with who they are or what they do. I already have my own idea for a name, but I'm not sure I like it. If someone leaves an idea that I like, then I'll use that instead. Feel free to PM it to me. If you want to leave a review, feel free to ask questions, voice concerns, or give a critique (I would love that). Thank you.**


	4. Chapter 4

My interns all turn to look at the eevee. She is rolling around in the grass and waving her little paws in the air. Her tail swishes back and forth, battering pokémon who stray to close. We all smile at her behavior. Jane giggles and tosses out a suggestion. "I say we name her Fluffy! I mean, she is sooooo cute and tiny, but she's just a big fluff ball!" Oblivious to the rest of our poker faces, she takes a step towards the eevee and claps her hands while calling out the ridiculous name. "Fluuuuuufffffy! Come here Fluffy! Fluffywuffyluffypooo! Come here!" Jane's squeaky high pitched voice rips through our eardrums but seems to have no effect on the eevee, who continues her antics.

Bryan walks up behind Jane and puts a hand on her shoulder. In as serious of a face as he can muster, he says "Jane…. I'll give you an 'A' for effort. However, try your best to use a bit more creativity next time." The voice he uses is his attempt at imitating me.

I huff and cut Jane's protests off. "Bryan, are you mocking me?"

"No Ma'am, I would never do that!"

I laugh slightly. This eevee has got us all acting like children. "Of course you wouldn't. Now, give me a name suggestion."

He eyes her before announcing "Latte. Her name is Coco Latte." He turns to look for a reaction to the name, but the eevee gives none. She is oblivious.

Alex scoffs "Are you a dumb ass? She needs a real name."

Bryan scowls. "Well, Einstein, what do you suggest we name her?"

"It's simple, we'll name her Emily." He claps his hands and calls to the eevee. She pricks her ears up and sits up. With a yip, she comes dashing towards Alex. He smiles triumphantly, only to realize she is running past him to tackle Tom and bite the cat pokémon's tail.

I ignore tom's yowls. It's hard to sympathize knowing the eevee still has her milk teeth and can't do any real harm. Sam looks concerned and asks "Should we be worried for her safety?"

"No," I reply, "Tom is a pain in the ass, but he won't hurt an eevee kit for teething on his tail. He's just a melodramatic drama queen." The repetitive nature of my last sentence is not lost upon me.

Sam smiles and then says "Hey, what about Starling?" She calls out the kit, but there is still not a single reaction. Crestfallen, she turns to Clara and says, "You have always been good with names when it comes to pokémon, why don't you give it a shot?"

With everyone's attention on her, Clara flushes. "Well, I was thinking Roseaus would fit her, but I don't know…"

I smile, this being the best name yet. "You won't know until you give it a try." Of course, it doesn't work. By now, I'm beginning to wonder if I should just force a name upon the eevee kit. She might be too young for a name to actually click with her.

Lynn, who had been quiet this whole time, looks up with a gleam in her eyes. "I have an idea… what about-" I can't figure out what she says, because just as she is about to suggest her name idea, the eevee kit gives a loud yelp. She streaks away from Tom, who tears after her, yowling his battle cry. I pull out the kit's pokéball, and recall her before Tom can overtake her. I then stand and wait for Tom to calm down. With the object of his fury removed, and nobody to take it out on (that would not return it), he slashes at the turf with a yowl. I roll my eyes. Brat.

While I'm not angry with him seeing as the eevee kit did instigate, I do feel extraordinarily exasperated. I call the eevee kit back out and pick her up. Cradled in my arms, she peers down at Tom and whimpers. Turning her around to get a better look at whatever happened, I smile. Her nose has a single shallow scratch upon it, barely more than a paper cut. Tom had just been warning her.

Slowly, I bend down and set the eevee back onto the grass. All the while, I glare at Tom, promising pain if he decides to misbehave. Keeping one hand on her back, I reach over to Tom and grip him by his scruff. I start to pull the two together, but Tom resists. Typically I would take the time to coax him over, but this is a great time to teach my interns.

"Okay," I begin, "You all know that not all pokémon will get along together. In some more severe cases, one or both have to be removed to keep general peace. However, this was hardly worth calling a tussle, so this can be solved with ease. Tom was just warning the kit that he would not tolerate his tail being used as a play thing. However, if and when there is a confrontation, instead of beginning to rush towards the two pokémon like you seven had done, you should call one or both pokémon into their pokéballs. This reduces the chances of you, the rehabilitator being hurt. In this case, seeing as it wasn't anything large, the only corrective action that must take place is simply a matter of reinforcing the fact that you are in charge and require the two pokémon to behave." I look up at my interns to make sure they are paying attention.

I continue. "Now, first you have to physically hold both pokémon. Guide them both in front of you so they are facing each other." As I speak, I gently tug on Tom, to encourage him to remove his claws from the grass. He relents, and I pull both the eevee kit and Tom together to the point where their noses would be touching if Tom weren't frantically craning his face away, a look of disgust in his eyes. "Now, in this case you encourage them to touch noses. This is what both species, eevees as well as purrlions, do when meeting. This is where knowing different species and their behaviors very well is key. If there are two pokémon species whose greetings were completely different, you'd have to compensate and try a hybrid of the two different greetings." I gently push Tom forward as I speak and gently pull the eevee kit back a bit because she is trying to charge forward to lick Tom, her fear of him forgotten. After several unsuccessful attempts to make them touch noses, I sigh and look up at my interns. "Here Adam, take Tom, and hold him. Now, keep his head steady…. There we go."

Adam and I have successfully made the two pokémon touch noses. While there is no change in attitude, I hope it is enough to reinforce the idea to Tom that he and the kit are equals, and should be friends. At the very least, I pray its enough to dissuade him from scratching her. As for the eevee kit, while the reinforcement has probably done nothing for her, I hope the small scratch on her nose will make her think twice about chewing on other pokémons' tails. The eevee kit dashes towards Sweetpea, who seems to realize keeping her away from Tom is a good idea.

I can't help but think that Sweetpea is such a sweetie and has really changed since I first got her. As such, she should probably be re-homed soon. She is too reliant on humans and friendly to be released into the wild, so I start wondering whether to send her to a professor to be re-homed or re-home her myself. I am unsure what would be best for her. I enjoy personally re-homing all the pokémon that pass through my care, seeing as I can control who she ends up with. It is reassuring because all the intensive paperwork, interviews, and house visits insures she would be going into a great environment. However, all the paperwork I have to make, have people fill out, and then read through is a pain in the ass. Having professors re-home her would give her a chance at a completely new beginning, and I trust the professors across the regions to make proper decisions. While I know many, I sometimes feel I don't know them well enough.

I am torn from my thoughts by Lynn, who is smiling and holding the eevee kit while the other six interns laugh. "What's going on?" I inquire.

Lynn looks at me, pride shining from her smile. "I figured out a name for the eevee! She responds to Estevale."

"Estevale?" I am mildly confused as to how to pronounce the exotic sounding name.

Lynn halfway winces at my butchering of the pronunciation. With another bright smile, she corrects me, "You pronounce it Est-eh-val- ay."

"Okay then. Here, give her to me and I'll carry her away. Call again and see if she responds."

Lynn almost reluctantly hands Estevale over to me, and I carry the squirming fur ball a short distance away. Lynn crouches down and calls to her. "Estevale!" with a yip, Estevale responds and darts towards lynn, gaining enough momentum to jump the foot or so necessary to lick Lynn's nose.

I laugh, and then look at my watch. 6:03. We are running late on our schedule. "Hey you guys," I call out, "It's already six. I'll give you five more minutes to play with the pokémon, then we are going to eat dinner and compare notes. I've changed my mind about the free time after dinner," at this, they all groan. "instead, I'm giving a lecture on evolution!"

"But, Mrs. Tiela, we already learned about evolution in the university! Our professors have it drilled into our brains!" Adam protests, sounding not unlike a young boy.

I sigh, "Unfortunately, recently what you learn is different from what I grew up learning. They forget to teach you about evolution _before_ pokémon were being caught by early trainers." At this, all of my interns' attentions are grabbed. The thing I love about all interns I've ever had is how easy it is to get their undivided attention when it comes to teaching about pokémon.

**I'm sorry this chapter took longer than the other ones and isn't quite as satisfying as them either, but my family and I moved a few days ago. Needless to say things have been quite busy. This chapter's only purpose is to be a filler chapter that gives Estevale her name (and tells us how it was pronounced). If you want to see the actual word (and definition) that I ended up changing a bit to get her name, go to my profile. If you have any question, comments, concerns, or (best of all) critiques… feel free to voice them in a review.**


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